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Topic: Cross-Compatible Parts (Read 4402 times)

I tried to add this to one of the existing topics, but I was advised by the system to start a new thread. I have a few thoughts on development. My understanding is that a game engine is close to being selected, if it hasn't been already. In any case, there are many available. While I don't recall if I mentioned it before, I wondered if parts of TORCS, which is open-source, could be used for the racing scenes. The physics files are a lot like Redline, so I would find them easy to work with, but I should move on to my main point. Not being a low-level programmer, I should leave the serious technical stuff to others. My point is this....

While the engine is being chosen and modded, the content will have to be created. I would argue that it would save us time if we use the models from the beta, and I've worked on modding them slightly, as I assume many others already have. I also assume that most of my mods, if they survive, will do so in concept only, as all of them will likely have to be recoded for the new beta. However, while I've already outlined this point elsewhere, I've thought of taking the intiative (when I have time in a month or two) to produce some new cars and mods. Presumably, the tracks will have to wait until we know what engine (and preferably app) we're making them for. I could test them in TORCS, obviously, although I'm still figuring out that program and have only built one mod for it so far.

At the moment, it seems the Beta lacks some of the basic building blocks of the Street Rod concept. What are these? I would argue that they would be the basic cars that a player would start with, and the cars they would end up with. At the moment, the cars in the beta like the GTO, the Mustang, and the Deuce are more mid-level cars. There isn't any C3 Corvette yet, there isn't any Camaro yet, and there aren't any entry-level cars to start with. In the old game, these were cars like the Falcon and the Fury, or possibly the C2 Corvette (in SR2). If we're going to do an early 1970's game this time, then, it would make sense to have a Ford Pinto (or another Falcon), a Chevy Nova (and/or Vega), and a Dodge Dart. I'm not joking about the Vega, actually. These cars were supposedly excellent track cars, better than some of their European competition, they could be fitted with V-8's (Chevy actually did this with the Monza), and were very cheap. Yenko also had a version with turbo for the 4-cyl. engine, which was already unusual for a Chevy of the time as most were 6 or 8 cylinder. Novas were similar, of course, and very popular hot rods, but in hindsight they aren't as interesting as they were far more conventional, and many, many of them survive today. The same can't be said of the Vega. I haven't seen one in over 20 (maybe 30) years, not even at a car show. Other oddities and newcomers (for SR3) could be as follows:

Plymouth Roadrunner (or the Plymouth GTX)Dodge Charger DaytonaDodge ChallengerDodge Monaco (maybe with the 440)AMXLincoln Continental (for the 460)'57 Chevy Belair (which is before the time period of the game, but neglected in both SR1 and SR2)Ford Thunderbolt (like the Belair, old but neglected, and an excuse to include the 427 side-oiler)

What the King will drive is another question. I think I've said elsewhere that he could have a GT40, an A/C Cobra, or a Corvette L88 or ZL1. None of these fit the ideal of a muscle car or a hot rod, but they all use American big-block V-8's, and would give the King the edge over everything that isn't a very extreme hot rod.

Finally, it would be especially cool for the cars in the old games to reappear. That would give the game a great deal more depth, but would require a lot of modelling. This is what could be done while the engine is being prepared, however, as any good game engine will take a model format that either the models will be built in, or which they can be converted to. In the meantime, the new models could be used in TORCS.

I'm just posting this now while I'm thinking of it, partly to see what other people are thinking of or working on. I've been distracted by this for a few days, even though I can't built any actual models yet. Another thing to consider is that I don't want to build anything that other people are already building.

Game engine will be Unity 3D, unless for some reason we change ur minds, we liked that there are addons that allow for more advanced car physics and handling geared towards racing games. it also takes care of stuff like cross compatibility with win, mac, linux, sound, video, physics etc etc. There will still need to programming done any ways, i assume it will be in some sort C language as Unity support Java and a form of C.

Using models form ALPHA, not beta. sorry there is big difference. i figured that might be helpful to set stand like scale and stuff. I have a garage model with two cars for scaling purposes, one if a big box 1 is a mustang. let me know if you want a copy. also i'd be cool to see one of your models in it.

your right we don't' have much to go with out a set stand for 3d models and textures, however from what i know Unity 3D also takes care of this too. There is a guide on to set a up a basic race course and get to know the basics of unity although this would probably best in team/guided effort, then again i don't a whole lot about it yet either.

"At the moment, it seems the Beta lacks some of the basic building blocks of the Street Rod concept." I'm gonna stop you right there.

Let me just say that the OLD alpha is more or less a broken piece of crap in the days before Unity 3D and Open source game engines. It was all home brew and used some libraries, for physics. it wasn't even a full game engine by any means.

It was basically a simple testing grounds for building a game engine, that's why it "lacks" so much.

"basic building blocks of the Street Rod concept. What are these?" This why we are getting the horse in front of the wagon here. This is an issue, with out OLD forums and website missing in action there is a lot of history missing.

thusly there is stuff you don't know about, like all the conversion and idea, and plans and ambitions every has had and come up with over the last 10 years. Part whihc was the old list of cars that were planned to be in the game. i have partial back up but, it's way totally useless with out the man power to churn out out those models, trust me there were a lot of cars on that list.

I've been around for a while, a little longer than Venomous and i've also spent time finding and looking at and reading OLD OLD archives of SR3 web site and forums. I've spoke to Venomous about making a "What is SR3 write up/post" to explain what SR3 is and what the "concept(s)" will be.

This would help massively to define what SR3 is and help people in-vision/imagine what it will be like and in general get every on the same page. In the past that was SR3's biggest problem lack of synchronization and planning also lack of man power but, that's who other story.

Finally i'd like to thank you posting that, that's a very very good thing. It shows interesting in working on the game. I'm not first to admit i've been neglecting SR3. I admit as you get older you loose some of your drive but, i've never lost my passion for SR3 and it's never left the back of mind. I bet i don't go a week with out thinking about it but, i digress.

As it stands we will be using Unity 3D and we need to define SR3 and figure out how we will proceed to use unity among other things. I think your models can be rescaled and converted if need be, back in the day we did this all time for Gear Head Garage.

I'm also "I'm just posting this now while I'm thinking of it" so atm i can't think of any thing else to say.

I have some Corvette Models, C1 and C2 era, so those could be a start. As I said I may or may not get to that this week or even this month, but it would be good to know the ground rules before I try a conversion. Among other things, I'd like to get them to work in TORCS.

I know it's not a good idea to resurrect old topics, but I wonder if a repair- or modification-related function could be allowed to forcibly make a part work in a context it wasn't intended to, like making a GM transmission fit a Ford vehicle?